By Senior Correspondent Marty Ogden, Editing and Graphics by Ron Knapp

RESULTS

Ridgefield had a bittersweet Thursday night at New Balance Nationals Indoors. The Tigers’ team of Aidan Nelson (1:59.15), Trevor Fuller (1:58.87), Magnus Manley (1:54.34) and Charles Lovett (1:52.53)  broke their school and state record set last year when they won the event at New Englands but came up less than a second short of their other goal of repeating as All American in finishing 7th. Their time of 7:44.91 was just under three seconds better than the old record and over three seconds better than their New England winning time. Another consolation was that they also broke the all time New England record of 7:45.29 set by Amherst Pelham, MA in 2015 in 2015 as confirmed by our New England record keeper Larry Newman.

Visit the only site for the latest Connecticut High School State Records for Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field at My Track and Field Records.

Xavier, running as South Farms Track Club came in 10th place. The team of Ian Schmeelk (1:58.82), Landon Rubano (2:01.68), Jack Ouellette (1:54.60), Owen Martin (1:55.17) combined to run 7:50.29 which was only two seconds off their New England runner-up performances. 

Weston went under eight minutes for the first time in school history, finishing in 7:58.11 to place  26th, getting a small measure of revenge on Danbury who finished one place in front of the Trojans at New Englands. The Hatters just missed their own school record by four seconds, running 7:58.72 to finish 27th. 

Boys 1 mile Freshman Results:

39th Nolan O'Connor, South Farms TC, 4:38.35

Girls 1 mile Freshman Results:

6th Lauren Parrett, Glastonbury TC, 5:01.99

36th Sophie Passalacqua Greenwich TC, 5:18.80

63th Gabrielle Savelli New Canaan TC 5:36.03

Boys 4 x 800m Results:

33rd Hall TC  8:02.04

47th New Canaan TC  8:07.72

77th Hall TC - B 8:20.88

Girls Championship 4x800m Relay Results:

31st Glastonbury TC 9:39.72

37th Greenwich TC 9:44.24

55th South Farms TC Mercy 10:01.24

57th New Canaan 10:18.32

Nike Indoor Nationals

at The Armory Track & Field Center

RESULTS

Oxford High School is a small school about a half an hour north of New Haven that hasn’t had a state class distance runner since the days of Cameron Swift and his teammates were State Open champions in the 4x800m in 2013. Well, Joseph DeLuise is putting the Wolverines back on the map. He was Class S champion in the 3200m last spring and this winter he used a front running strategy leading the first half of the Class S and State Open 3200m races but was relegated to 7th at the Open, just missing New Englands. Obviously, the longer the race the better he is. The junior finished 12th against a national class field and ran 15:05.26 to move up to #7 all time in CT history. That performance puts him between such luminaries as Jay Koloseus of Guilford and Hall’s Everett Hackett who were both All American in their day. 

Last year’s surprise Class LL champion in the 3200m Patrick Croughwell of Norwich Free Academy finished 18th in a school record of 15:19.10 to place him #16 all time in CT history. The senior’s time is less than a second behind Danbury All American Matt Terry who was 6th at Nationals in 2008. 

Mixed 4x400m Relay Championship Results:

18th East Hartford TC 3:53.51 Kayden Williams, Nya Cohen, Jaylen Estrella, Keyara Phillips